Students in Bible 3 are working on memorizing scripture.  This video depicts Matthew 6:1-2. 

On February 28, 2017, Pine Tree Academy Band and Pine Tree Coastal Winds collaborated on a pops concert for Febfest.  The size of the two bands together, the selection of the music, and the camaraderie between community members and students made this a truly memorable evening.

FebFest is a moveable feast of arts and culture.  Freeport, well known for shopping, has an amazingly rich -- albeit less visible -- array of arts offerings. Freeport FebFest aims to change that. Many arts and cultural organizations, artists, artisans, and craftspeople call Freeport home. Performances, workshops and exhibits happen throughout the year, and Freeport FebFest concentrates on this cultural treasure trove, including visual, performing, literary, culinary and fine arts. By focusing attention on this 'critical mass' of events at a time of year when people are looking to get out of the house and do something different, we can make great strides in raising the visibility of Freeport's thriving arts community.

Freeport FebFest is spearheaded by Freeport Players and is the brainchild of their Managing/Artistic Director, Elizabeth Guffey. February is a quiet month in terms of entertainment, but also a time when we really need to get out of the house. It seemed like a perfect time for the arts community to make a splash. Individually, arts events struggle for attention, but by working together in the festival concept, everyone's efforts multiply to reach a broader audience. In its first year, the festival received a grant from the Davis Family Foundation to bolster the Festival's efforts, raising the visibility of Freeport FebFest and with it, Freeport's arts community.  Hundreds of people enjoyed and participated in the festivities. (information taken from www.freeportfebfest.com)

On February 3, 2017, Brian Budd, PTA class of 1977, came to present about his career as a mechanical engineer.  The information below gives a short biography of Brian's accomplishments.  We were so thankful for his willingness to present to the students in grades 7-12.  His passion about "all things engineering" was contagious and several students mentioned an interest in pursuing a career in this field.  Brian encouraged students to take advantage of tuition reimbursement which is offered by many progressive companies.  His own company has paid for his masters degree.

Education:
B.S. Mechanical Engineering, Washington State University
Master of Business Administration, Pepperdine University
 
Currently enrolled in a Master of Engineering program in System Engineering and Technology Management from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute.  May 2017 graduation!
 
Employment:
The majority of Brian's career has been spent in aerospace propulsion systems.  He is currently working for Pratt & Whitney on new jet engine programs.  In his role as a Project Engineer, he leads small teams which design engine components.  The team also provides technical support in the manufacture, engine assembly, engine testing and hardware performance evaluation.    They seek to continuously improve the performance and durability of the engines.
 
He shared that, "Learning is a life-long process.  There are endless fun and interesting things to explore and learn." 
 
Here’s a link to Pratt & Whitney videos on the people who design, build, test and fly the new engines.  The home page has a good overview of the new commercial engine programs and where they’re used.
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http://purepowerengines.com/videos.htm

Great Lakes Adventist Academy's gymnastics team, The Aerokhanas, visited Pine Tree Academy for a full week.  They conducted classroom worships, formal chapel services each day, a full length dramatic presentation on the life of Christ, an agape feast, and a culminating gymnastics show.

Looking for some fun, cheap, exciting entertainment during the month of March?  It is still too cold for outside activities so come on over and support two great gym events!!

Once a month, female students in grades 5-8 are invited to Mrs. Tyson's house for SHINE meeting.  SHINE stands for "Share Him In Everything."  For the first 45 minutes a special guest is invited to present advice or a skill to the younger students.  This is followed by a Bible study on a woman of the Bible.  This past month, two academy students, Simone Edmond and Stephie Kayumba shared the top things they have learned in high school.  Topics included  putting Christ first, study habits, and friendship advice.  During this time, the younger girls were encouraged to ask questions and share experiences.  In this safe environment, students are building relationships with each other (and hopefully stopping any girl drama before it starts).  In addition, they are given the opportunity to lean on academy students who have valuable advice for them.  The Bible study portion was given by Ms. Payne about the life of Hannah. 

"While this may seem like an activity geared toward the students, I gain just as much of a blessing from hearing them pour out their concerns and frustrations and then leave those at the feet of Jesus," states Mrs. Tyson.  "We will continue to encourage students to address their issues in a positive, proactive way."

Pine Tree Academy’s chapter of the National Honor Society (NHS) has chosen a service project for the 2016-17 school year.  NHS members are creating learning center projects centered around literacy to send to our seven Adventist elementary schools in Micronesia.   

Our students are coloring, laminating and trimming attractive manipulatives, or hand-held learning games, for each of the five short vowel sounds as well as the long vowel sounds.  Through these colorful sets, students in our Micronesian Adventist schools will have a fun way to apply what they are learning about phonics. In these pictures you will see NHS members Lauren Krueger, Katie Steeves and Olivia Oliveira and friends hard at work.

In total seventy different sets will be sent out.  This may seem like a modest goal, however these devices can help emerging readers achieve great gains in fluency.  It must be said that the majority of students in the far Pacific do not speak English at home, and so are considered English-language learners (ELL) by their schools. ELL students arrive at reading fluency more slowly than those from homes where English is spoken.

Sophomores through seniors are welcome to apply to the Pine Tree Academy chapter of the NHS.  Requirements to be considered for the NHS reflect the four pillars upon which the NHS was created: scholarship, character, service, and leadership.  Service is at the heart of the NHS.  Start logging your service hours now, students, for it is the area that most often needs shoring up among NHS applicants.  For more information, contact Mrs. Anne Goorhuis, PTA’s NHS advisor.